Magic April 6, 2012

[Stimpy]

She is an older ship and certainly not as glitzy & new as the Dream & Fantasy but I'm not worried. We could have gone on the Fantasy but to me it's just way too big. I love the Magic. We've been on it several times and it just feels so cozy. My parents are leaving tomorrow for the transatlantic to bring her home from Europe...I told them they better take real good care of it

 

[Ajsmom22]

Yea! More people! Lol!

I have never Been on a cruise before, so I am just so excited. But...as I kept reading all of the negative comments about the Magic, I totally started to panic. And then I decided I had to stop reading that stuff!

Thank you for saying it will be fine! I keep telling myself that it will be just fine...

Beautiful weekend here in Charleston SC! But my family got hammered with the rain up in PA and MD...yikes! All of this crazy weather lately is scary.

Oh and we will celebrate Easter on the cruise...haven't figured out exactly what that will look like for us, but I will work on it. We have always done clues that lead to an Easter basket...not sure I can do that on The Magic...and then church. Ahhh we shall see!

Amber

 

[Stimpy]

Amber, it'll be great...especially if it's your first cruise...you'll have nothing to compare it to We've cruised on both the Magic & Wonder with Disney and enjoyed both. We did cruise on Royal Caribbean 2 summers ago on the Nick cruise on one of their new ships. OMG, the ship was HUGE! (We have a pic of the Magic looking down from our balcony on the RC ship, it's kind of funny) It was amazing, over the top, glitzy, loud etc. We liked it & had fun but to be honest, I really missed the smaller, low key Magic. It had it's good points...my DS loved the surfing thing, the rock wall etc, the whole Nick theme was fun. The ship was just too big, kids clubs weren't as friendly & nice (as a matter of fact, they some how screwed up and the age groups had to be moved around. My daughters group had to go to the room for the 8-12 yr olds, my son's (8-12) had to use on of the nightclubs...which had NOTHING for them to do!) How the heck did I get on this tangent??? Sorry!

If no one objects, I can keep track of everyone in my first post? I don't know what happened to the person that started this thread but if (s)he comes back they can take over

 

[Stimpy]

Foundn it

 

[Ajsmom22]

Another question...

When I booked this cruise, I just selected the cheapest option that suited our family of 3. I did not pick a room #, but I saw at the end of the reservation that I had a stateroom #. is it safe to assume that the assigned room I was given is a definite thing? I saw it is near some service elevator and people have complained about the noise when the luggage is being delivered and then picked up.

Amber

 

[delauzons]

Yes, but you can call and change to a different one. Do a search of stateroom reviews. I did that and chose accordingly.

 

[Stimpy]

Did it work? Where you able to change staterooms to a better location?

 

[Ajsmom22]

Knowing my luck, I'll switch to one of the rooms that smells like sewage...I'll just leave it the way it is. I would rather have noise than stench. Lol!

Would it be crazy if we did not book any excursions? I just feel like I don't want to get off the ship except at CC. Am I insane?

Amber

 

[Stimpy]

Don't think it's crazy at all! We may do the same thing at one of the ports too. Quite honestly, we prefer the western itinerary but the eastern was the only one that fit our schedule. We found private/non DCL sponsored "pirate ship snorkling" excusions that we've done in the past on both islands on previous cruises that we would like to do again. But since they are so similar, we'll only choose one. The other island we'll probably either just explore the port ourselves for a little while or stay on the ship...unless there is some amazing port excursion that I've missed while glancing through the list so far.

My daughter decided to be Angelica from POTC 4 for Halloween...so excited she can wear it on the cruise for Pirate night too!

My son's Boy Scout troop is leaving for Washington DC the morning our cruise comes home for the weekend. He's really bummed b/c he really wanted to go on that trip! He loves history & has always wanted to go there. So now we're trying to figure out how he & my husband (a troop leader) can get off the ship, fly to DC & meet the troop somewhere there....hoping someone will bring their camping gear for them. Meanwhile my 7 yr old daughter and I get all the cruise stuff and may spend 2 extra nights in FL dragging everything with us. Of course, they won't know until long after Southwest comes out with the next round of rates if his troop is truly able to fundraise enough to go on the trip or not. Thinking of hitting DH up with letting us stay at the Polynesian as a consolation prize for the headaches this causing me

 

[Ajsmom22]

I like the way you think Stimpy! I would be the same way...it's all about compromise, right?? Lol!

My son is a cub scout...a bear. Are y'all selling popcorn? What fun...not. I can't stand fundraising. And my son isn't really motivated like some of the other kids so that makes it even harder for me.

Anyone on Facebook? If you are, look me up! Amber Lombardi. I'll edit that out later...

I saw a trip report that had pictures of the Cabanas...loved them!! I realize I don't have a chance to get one but if I could, that would be money well spent to me!

Amber

 

[Stimpy]

We're doing Popcorn & Yankee Candle fundraisers (BTW, if you ever need an additional fundraiser....yankee candle is a great one!) for Boy Scouts. This is the first time with the popcorn. My daughter is also in girl scouts, so we're doing magazines & nuts. Plus all the school fundraisers! It never ends.

We went all the way through cub scouts. This is my first year in 7 not being with them....feels weird! I was committee chair for the pack, even after my son bridged up to Boy Scouts 2 yrs ago. Miss those little guys! The big guys just aren't as cute

Just saw the news on the Hawaii cruise...why can't they do them when kids are out of school? Ugh they look amazing!!

I tried to look you up on facebook but there were a few people with the same name. I'll PM you with my name, it might be easier to find

The cabana's look like heaven but I would never be able to talk my husband into one LOL

 

[Stimpy]

Surprised we are such a small group for spring break! I guess everyone is going on the Fantasy that week. Think we'll have an empty ship then?

 

[Ajsmom22]

I was thinking the same thing! Maybe everyone is hiding or waiting to join in. I checked the other groups out that are the weeks before and after us and they are all so busy and full! Hmmmm. I don't get it!

My husband is out of town, school is crazy, and I'm so glad tomorrow is Friday!!

Amber

 

[snubadad]

count us on board! this will be our 2nd disney cruise, our first was last april during spring break on the dream. it was for 3 nights to the Bahamas and not long enough! it took us 3 days just to explore the ship. we booked our next trip while on board; same ship, same room and even going to the same ports, only difference was that it was for 5 nights. After some conversation and checking spring dates with school schedule we changed to this 7 night cruise to eastern Caribbean, i mean if you are going to cruise again you might as well see different ports!

 

[Ajsmom22]

Yeah! More people! Who are you cruising with?? Welcome to this thread!

Amber

 

[snubadad]

my wife and daughter age 8. I bet this will be a pretty full ship being it is durning spring break or maybe a lot of people want to go on the fantasy.

 

[Ajsmom22]

I was assuming it would be packed, but since this thread has been sooooo sloooooowww moving I started to rethink that!

We are also a family of 3! Me, my husband, and our 8 yr old son!

Amber

 

[snubadad]

yea i kind of get a little giddy thinking about our next vaca. we already booked our airfare, and have been reading trip reports about the ship and its condition. i have been reading this forum; The McSparklesons are BACK! And they are CRUISIN! March, 2011. it is like a book! but it has a lot of good info.

 

[Stimpy]

Welcome! We are a family of 4 with a daughter who will be just short of 8 when we cruise too! She's very social so will be excited to hear of all these potential new friends

The Dream was out for us, too short. Our last DCL cruise was almost 2 weeks, I don't think we could ever do less than 7 nights again. We debated between the Magic & Wonder for quite a while. In the end, it came down to airfare & travel time with the kids. My daughter is a talker....a flight to CA would have killed us We could have been on the Fantasy the same week for less than what we are paying now for the Magic. I had a hold on a ressie the day the rates came out but DH was reluctant b/c it was a new ship, concern about crowds etc and we let it go. At the time, it was also the inaugural cruise too! Now it would cost twice as much as we are paying! Insane! Will never let him live THAT down

What did you think of the Dream? Have you cruised with any other lines?

 

[snubadad]

your DH is correct about the crowds, the dream is a wonderful ship, we cruised last april durning spring break and it was full, partly because it was new and time of year we cruised. however things flowed very smoothly and you never felt the crowd except at the pools and when standing in line waiting for princesses. We also thought about the fantasy but decided on the magic mostly because its smaller and there will be less people. This is only our 2nd cruise both with disney, from everything i read they seem to do it best with children.